Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-07-14

charge" the soldiers came rushing like
the wind upon their women and children,
killing many of them, but the braves raj
lied In great force, turned on the troopers,
and chased them back TO the ri er, into
which everybody tumbled and scrambled
up to the top of steep hill opposite.
When they had Reno on the hill the bucks
in great numbers tried to drive him off;
but, not succeeding, the women, old men
and some lucks were left 10 guard them
while the Others re-crossed the stream and
hurried down to the other end of the VIII
lage, where the cry had been raised that
more soldiers were coming. or course this
was Custer's outfit, and we have no tale Of
that terrible affair except what the Indians
tell us.
From all that can be gathered, it seems
that Custer must have come down as far
as the river with his troopers, although
Gall says he never got to within half a
mile of the stream; but the footprints OF
the cavalry horses led i'm broad and we'll
defined trail clear down to the river, not
withstanding Calls statement to the con-
trary. When asked how these footprints
came on the bank, the chief explained
that they We're made by white soldiers on
horseback who had Attempted TO escape
from the field by going down ravine and
taen cross NC the river These were met
by some bucks on the OF er 81 ie. WHO
turne them up stream again, and, after
racing parallel with tie river for nearly
three quarters of mile, were finally
crowded into the water anu then re.crossed
the river tnce more. They came out just
where all the cavalry tracks appeared,
were finally caught and knocked on the
head with some stone clubs. This chief,
who was undoubtedly the leader of the
red forces on that day, further says that
only forty-three Indians were killed In all,
although great many afterwards 'fell
over and died" Tits seems a very smalI
percentage of casualties among tie red
men. when Il is considered that 20i white
bodies were found on the field. although
more than 2a0 men yielded up their lives
on Clusters fell, not counting The killed
and wounded of RenO's and Benteens'
commands. History has been corrected
somewhat since that dark and bloody page
was recorded. and not the least impor an
is that the Indians Ou'-numbered fully FIVE
TO one all the while men in the county
including the different commands OF Gus
ter, Benteen and Reno. as well as Gen.
Terry's and Gen. Gibbons comman's,
then at forks of the two Horn rivers.
on the way up to effect junction with
the Seventh cavalry.
Another correction should be made In
the case Of Gen. Custer himself. lie did
not wear long. golden hair, as has been
generally supposed, but had IL clipped
short before he left his post TO take tie
field. He was also scalped, like all the
rest. but he, being slightly bald on the
crown of his head. scalp-lock was cut
from further back.
After all had been slain the bucks gal
loped around over the field, popping bull
lets and arrows into the corses, while the
blOOdtiirst squaws completed an already
too orrible pictureby pounding the h, ais
of the poor fellows with their stone clubs.
II was sal and mournful duty for the
surviving moiety of the gallant Seventh
cavalry To perform the last rites for their
slain comrades. but they did it with ten
derness and care. covering each Were he
fell wi h mound OF earth. and erecting
at his head stake and pile of stones to
mark the spot when the elements should
have washed away the earth. The Custer
battlefield Is to-day one vast cemetery,
neglected and almost forgotten. except by
the few who have relatives and friends
sleeping among those barren rocks in this
far-away. uninhabited country. The little
stakes and piles of stones are yet to be
seen, but they give a desolate look to the
field. and the monument itself is in the
first stages Of decay. 1t has been sur
rounded by high iron railing, to protect
it from vandals and relic. unters, but all
the iron ratings in the world cannot save
it from the storms and the winds which in
this high and dry climate are destroying
the shaft slowly but surely.
OF to the left of the monument and at
the end of the ridge which formed the ba-
sis of the skirmish line of which Calhoun's
company was the left, is simple marble
headstone, at the base of which was buried
brave Lieut.. Crittenden.